Protective lining for canals



Jan. 12, 1943. E; J Rn Re. 22,246

PROTECTIVE LINING FOR. CANALS ori iiml Filed lay 24. 193'! V INVENTOR: I

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ATTORNEY Reissued Jan. 12, 1943 PROTECTIVE LlNlING FOR CANALS Edgar J. Baird, Soda Springs, Idaho Original No. 2,138,366, dated November 2 9, 1938,

Serial No. 144,329, filed May 24, 1937. Application for reissue October 28, 1940, Serial No.

16 Claims.

This invention relates to a protective lining for canals, especially irrigation canals, though its use is not necessarily restricted thereto, since the lining is well adapted for reservoirs, artificial lakes, swimming pools, earth dams, and other earthworks ordinarily subjected to contact with water saturation.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide:

First-Means for preventing the loss of water through seepage. I

Second-Means for killing or preventing vegetable growth.

ThiTd.-A lining substantially impervious to water and having great flexibility, thereby serving to prevent cracking brought about by the tendency of a lining to buckle because of expan sion and contraction or because of heaving or settling of the earth underneath.

FouTth.A lining which is easily and quickly installed, but which is extremely durable and relatively inexpensive.

Irrigation canals are usually open channels cut in the earth, and are generally subject to considerable loss of Water through seepage. Naturally, the longer the canal, the greater the seepag loss becomes. It has been found in practice, that the loss ordinarily varies from to per cent in only a few miles of canal length. Not infrequently, the earth material through which such canal is cut, is of such a nature that the seepage loss becomes as much as 70 per cent of the water entering the canal.

Concrete linings of various kinds have heretofore been tried and have been found unsatisfactory for a number of reasons, the principal one being its deterioration through cracking.

Because of its flexibility, my novel lining may advantageously be made continuous in almost any desired length.

In installing the lining, the earth surface is first scarified to a suitable depth, and the loosened soil is then thoroughly waterproofed and compacted, which not only forms a foundation for the lining proper, but at the same time, prevents or kills any vegetable growth.

In the drawing, the single figure represents in perspective, a portion of a canal equipped with my invention, and shows in the foreground, a cross-section of the lining as well as a layer of scarified and prepared earth on which the lining rests.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates the earth surface of an excavated channel to form the canal. Below this surface, preferably to a depth of 4 to 8 inches, the earth is scarified by means of any well known implement. A suitable waterproofing compound is applied to the scarified layer of earth, and thoroughly incorporated therewith, preferably to the point of saturation. Such a waterproofing compound may advantageously consist of what is known in the market as R. C. asphaltic oil No. 1 or No. 2, applied under high pressure by means of a suitable nozzle. While the waterproofing substance is not necessarily applied under pressure in all cases, as just stated, it is especially advantageous to do so where soils are of such a nature that a waterproofing substance does not readily penetrate by merely contacting the top surface of a scarified layer of soil. In such instances of difficult penetration, the advantage of putting the waterproofing substance under considerable pressure, and the reason for its employment, is obvious, in that the resistance of individual particles of the soil to the penetration of the waterproofing substance, as Well as its certain entry into the interstices between the lumps, is overcome.

After applying the oil, the Well-soaked soil is thoroughly compacted, preferably by rolling, to form the layer I2. On top of the layer [2 is spread and bonded thereto a layer of sawdust or any suitable fibrous substance, shredded as required, and which has previously been thoroughly saturated with what is known as M. C. asphaltic oil, either No. 2 or No. 3. The asphaltic oils impart waterproofing properties to the fibrous substance and at the same time may serve as binders for forming the component parts of the fibrous material into a united mass.

The use of the aforenamed oils is exemplary, but by no means necessarily exclusive. These oils are identified by the following standard specification requirements.

Penetration of residue, 100 G. 5 sec. 77 dog Ductility of residue, 77 deg. F ..cms 70 70+ Solubility of residue in CS2 per cent 99. 5+ 99. 5+ Per cent of residue sol in CS: in G014 99. G5 99.

Norm- 30" stands for rapid curing.

NrE.MO stands for medium curing.

The oiled sawdust or fibrous material in a plastic state is thoroughly compacted by rolling or otherwise, into a finished layer l4. .The layer l4 may have any suitable thickness, which ordinarily may be two inches or thereabouts, but this may be varied to serve individual conditions. top of the layer I 4 is spread a sheet I5 of textile material, for example, cotton cloth or burlap, this being mopped with the asphaltic oil and cemented to the plastic layer 14. In some instances, especially where the lining is of a temporary nature, the sheet of textile material may be omitted and the water of a canal or other confining means, be allowed to contact the exposed surface of the compacted layer of fibrous material.

If desired, the marginal portions or flanges it of the plastic lining may be reinforced with strips or hands ll of metal, preferably galvanized iron. The metal strips may be fastened to the marginal flanges I6 by an occasional anchor I 8 or by any other suitable means. The metal strips are brought to the job fabricated, with upstanding lugs l9 formed by punching, and constituting preferabl an integral part of the strip. The lugs 19 are sharpened at the top 20 in any suitable Way, so as to pierce the marginal portions of the textile sheet l5, as indicated at 2|. After so piercing the marginal sheet portions, the lugs may be flattened down as indicated at 24, by means of a heavy roller (not shown) propelled along each marginal portion in the desired direction, for example, as indicated by the arrows 25. The textile sheets may be applied with their length transverse to the longitudinal dimension of a canal, and adjacent sheets may have marginal portions overlapping, as indicated at 26. Below the doubled marginal portions of adjacent sheets may be placed a metallic strip 21 of similar fabrication to the strips 11. Each strip 21 may be provided with lugs which, after piercing the doubled marginal portions of adjacent sheets, are susceptible of being rolled down, as shown at 28, similar to the lugs 24.

For convenience, the detailed description appearing hereinbefore, and the drawing, are directed definitely to a canal lining, but by implication, any water-confining earthwork is included, as touched upon earlier herein.

Frequently it is advantageous to sprinkle a coating of sand, fine gravel, or stone chips, or a suitable combination of any or all of these materials, upon the oiled textile sheet before the oil thereof dries. Such materials may be scattered by hand, or forcibly by any suitable means, for example, a blast of air or other fluid.

My invention contemplates heating or thinning the oil or oils, if necessary or desirable at any stage of the proceedings, in order to secure the proper degree of fluidity for promoting the thorough penetration of the oil into all parts of the materials concerned. The end in view is the formation of a flexible, waterproof lining which not only accommodates itself without injury, to

variations in the ground surface and to extreme variations in temperature resulting in excessive expansion and contraction, but also is proof against objectionable vegetable growths.

While a specific embodiment, of the invention is herein shown and described, it is understood that numerous changes in the minor details thereof,

may be made without departing from the spirit of the following claims.

What I claim is:

l. A canal lining, comprising a layer of earth impregnated with an oily waterproofing substance, a layer of plastic flexible material substantially impervious to water on top of the firstmentioned layer, and a sheet of textile material on top of the second-mentioned layer.

2. A canal lining, comprising a layer of waterproofed soil, a layer of flexible, waterproofed, plastic material on the first-mentioned layer, and a sheet of textile material bonded to the said layer of flexible, waterproofed plastic material.

3. A canal lining, comprising a layer of compacted, waterproofed soil, a layer of plastic, compacted, flexible material on the first-mentioned layer and bonded thereto, and a sheet of textile material bonded to the said plastic layer.

a. A canal lining in accordance with claim 16, wherein the said means for fastening the marginal portions of the textile material to the said margins of the flexible base, consists of a band of metal resting on the said margins of the flexible base, and having lugs piercing the said marginal portions of the textile material, the said piercing lugs being flattened upon the textile material to hold the marginal portions thereof in engagement with the said metal band.

5. Means for fastening portions of a textile sheet to a plastic canal lining, comprising a metal band anchored to the plastic canal lining, said metal band having a plurality of upstanding lugs integral therewith, the said lugs being disposed to pierce the textile sheet, and to be flattened down over the textile sheet for the purpose of holding the same in engagement with the metal band.

6. Lining a canal to make the same substantially waterproof, comprising scarifying the earth surface of the canal to a suitable depth, impregnating the layer or" scarified soil with waterproofing substance, compacting the scarified, waterproofed layer of soil, spreading a layer of oilsoaked, fibrous material upon the compacted waterproofed layer of soil, compacting the oilsoaked layer of fibrous material, and cementing a textile sheet to the upper surface of the layer of compacted fibrous material.

7. Lining a canal, comprising scarifying the inner earth surface of the canal excavation, impregnating the scarified soil with oil projected into the loose, scarified soil under high pressure. compacting the. oil-impregnated, scarified soil into a definite layer, spreading fibrous material impregnated with binder upon the said layer, and compacting the binder-impregnated fibrous material into a second definite layer superimposed upon the first-mentioned layer and bonded thereto. a

8. Lining a canal in accordance with claim '7, but including the step of spreading a sheet of textile fabric upon the compacted, binder-impregnated, fibrous material, and cementing the textile sheet into close contact therewith.

9. Lining a canal in accordance with claim 7, but including the step of spreading a sheet of textile fabric upon the compacted, binder-impregnated fibrous material, soaking the textile fabric with an asphaltic substance, cementing the soaked textile sheet into close contact with the compacted fibrous material, and sprinkling a layer of sand over the cemented textile fabric before the asphaltic substance dries.

10. A canal lining, including in combination, a layer of compacted soil impregnated and waterproofed with oil, and a compacted layer of asphaltic-oil-saturated sawdust bonded to the layer of compacted soil.

11. A canal lining in accordance with claim 10, but with the difierence that a textile covering is attached to the upper surface of the compacted sawdust layer.

12. Lining an earth channel or earth depression to make the same waterproof, comprising scarifying the earth. surface, projecting waterproofing substance under pressure into the scarified earth, compacting the scarified earth so waterproofed, spreading a layer of waterproofed, fibrous material upon the compacted w'aterproo fed earth, and compacting the layer of waterproofed fibrous material.

13. A protectively lined liquid-confining earthwork, comprising earth surfaces defining the liquid-confining portions of said earthwork, a layer of substantially waterproof plastic material substantially bonded to said earth surfaces and disposed in theform of a flexible layer that conforms without cracking to the configuration of the said earth surfaces, and flexible Woven sheet material covering and bonded to said plastic material.

14. A method of flexibly waterproofing liquidconfining earthwork, comprising applying and substantially bonding to the earth surfaces of said earthwork, substantially continuously thereover, a flexible waterproof base material; and covering with and bonding to said base material, substantially continuously thereover, a flexible woven sheet material.

15. A lined and waterproofed canal, comprising earth surfaces defining the canal channel, and a lining applied to and covering said earth surfaces, said lining including a flexible, waterproofed base having its upper surface covered with flexible woven sheet material, said woven sheet material being cemented to the flexible base and said flexible base being substantially cemented to said earth surfaces which define the canal.

16. A canal lining, comprising a flexible base adapted to conform to the contour of a canal, said lining having margins adapted to project beyond the upper marginal limits of the flow channel of the canal, sheet textile material cemented to the upper surface of the flexible base and having marginal portions which overlap the said margins of the flexible base, and means for fastening the said marginal portions of the textile material to the said margins of the flexible base.

" EDGAR J. BAIRD. 

